New Base Exchange opens Published May 31, 2007 By Col. Jay G. Santee 21st Space Wing commander PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- Strength and Preparedness to Save the Nation, sound familiar? If you've heard or read any of my messages over the past two years, you know the importance of this phrase. It's the vision of our wing and the reason we emphasize training and preparing our warrior Airmen for duties in garrison and deployed. There are several ingredients that go into preparing warrior Airman, one of them is ensuring Airmen and their families have access to the items they'll need to sustain themselves throughout the deployment period. That's why I'm excited to share some good news with you... Peterson AFB and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service opened the new and improved Base Exchange June 6. A lot of time and thought went into the design of this complex to ensure an improved level of support for not only our Airmen, but also for all military members, retirees and their family members. With this new facility you can count on quick, easy access to all the daily essentials, improving your quality of life. For example, you'll see several food court options, expanded adult and child clothing brand name selections, the latest and greatest in electronic and media merchandise, as well as, an improved outdoor living selection....then when the new Commissary opens, later this summer, it will really enable the "one-stop-shopping" concept. We received a large number of recommendations on the design and what amenities you thought should be included; many of your recommendations were incorporated into the final design. Thank you for taking the time to make a difference on Peterson. You'll notice that several of your day-to-day errands have been centralized into one complex to save valuable time and add convenience. You can visit Military Clothing Sales or alterations, get a pharmacy refill, and a haircut all in one stop. You will also find more spacious aisles in the Commissary to alleviate the heavy traffic flow, as well as a drive up loading and unloading area for large purchases from the exchange. To accommodate this new shopping complex and the projected future growth on the east side of Peterson, we are making improvements at the East Gate. I understand that the current traffic pattern at the East Gate is not conducive to the safest and most expeditious access to the new facility, and we are working hard to rectify the situation. We will continue to study the traffic patterns and make improvements to ensure the safety of our patrons. I thank you in advance for your patience as the improvements may cause minor inconveniences during implementation. I challenge all of you to come out and enjoy this fantastic new shopping complex. You'll be amazed at the state of the art facility and all it has to offer. Stop by for lunch or after work and check it out. All warrior Airmen should feel confident in the support available to them and their families so they can maintain focus on Saving Our Nation.